The minimal to-do list

Does your daily to-do list sometimes become overly long? Do you rely on your to-do list, but want to focus more on what matters most? Do you wonder how best to combat procrastination? Then it might be time to adopt this bafflingly simple tool which I’ve come across on Joshua Becker’s blog: the 3-Item To-Do List!

Every morning Joshua Becker identifies the 3 most important tasks of the day and makes these his primary focus. The 3-Item To-Do List has increased his productivity and job satisfaction significantly. What’s more, it provides him with a sense of accomplishment at the end of each and every day.

A minimal to-do list helps increase productivity and job satisfaction

I love the idea of incorporating minimalism in to-do lists and have implemented it into my everyday life, too. My minimal to-do list, for example, may consist of these 3 items: 1) put the finishing touches on a translation project and deliver it; 2) bring my accounts up to date; and 3) sit down for a German grammar lesson with my children after school.

I will probably get quite a few additional things done that day, too, such as starting a new work project, doing some housework, drafting a new blog post, and more. But if I don’t, it doesn’t really matter as these additional things weren’t among my 3 priorities for the day anyway.

The logic behind the 3-Item To-Do List concept is simple: If I have completed my 3 tasks, my day has been productive. It’s a concept that can be applied by anybody, in whatever circumstances. Focusing on 3 priorities per day, and optionally fitting in other things as well, means you no longer feel overwhelmed by interminable to-do lists.

Why not give it a shot, too?

Links to articles on the 3-Item To-Do List:
- Joshua Becker: Accomplish More with a 3-Item To Do List
- Melissa Camara Wilkins: What Is An Enough List And How it Helped Me Enjoy Everyday
- Andrew Merle: The Power of the 3-Item To-Do List 


(I've translated this blog article into German and published the German translation here.)

Minimalism in translation revision

This comment by Alison Hughes in the May/June issue of the ITI Bulletin caught my attention: The late Sue Young (known as ITI’s revision guru at the time) always recommended “changing as little as possible” in the revision of translations. I agree it is a simple concept: straightforward, efficient, and effective.



Don’t ask if a sentence can be improved but whether it needs to be improved

Intrigued by the minimalist nature of Sue’s advice, I have dug up my own notes from a revision workshop given by Sue at UWE in Bristol on 12 April 2008 and have come across a few more (minimalist) revision principles which Sue advocated. Note they are based on Brian Mossop's book "Revising and Editing for Translators".

Minimize the introduction of error by not making changes if in doubt about whether to do so.

Make only small changes to a sentence rather than rewriting it completely.

Don’t ask if a sentence can be improved but whether it needs to be improved.

Should you come across a large number of errors as you begin revising, consider whether the text should be retranslated rather than revised, and point this out to the client.

Do not impose your own translation approach or linguistic idiosyncracies upon the work of others. To quote Sue (see also ITI Bulletin May/June issue 2006, page 15): “Tempting though it may be, it is not part of the reviser’s brief to change the style."

According to Sue, it is your responsibility as a reviser to research any (remaining) problems. However, if you are unable to solve a problem, admit it to the client.

Always change as little as possible

Obviously, a lot more aspects should come into play in revision projects, but I found these particularly noteworthy. I don’t revise translations often myself, but once the next revision job lands on my desk, I shall bear the principles above in mind!

Check out my blog article on the revision workshop with Sue Young back in 2008 here. It is based on Anna George’s write-up of the event and includes more useful information on the revision of translations.

I'd also like to draw your attention to Sue Young's article "Handling client demands", which can be downloaded from the ITI website here.

What the minimalist wardrobe and translation specialisms have in common

There is a good reason why successful women like Matilda Kahl, art director from New York, wear the same thing to work every day: she never stresses about what to wear, she is more efficient at work, and she always looks and feels great.

As I’m paring down my closet more and more to a select number of items, I’ve noticed some baffling similarities between the minimalist wardrobe and translation specialisms. Over time, I’ve carefully minimized my translation specialisms so they now only include patent specifications in a few select fields and contracts; everything else I turn down.

What do the minimalist wardrobe and translation specialisms have in common?




Minimalist wardrobe principle 1:
Toss out any pieces of clothing you don’t feel comfortable wearing.

I’ve figured out, for example, that I hate wearing black. I always had to wear black in my job as a funeral organist 20 years ago – and I didn’t like it back then either. It’s taken me quite some time to figure that out. So I’ve started tossing out (most) black pieces of clothing.

Similarly, it’s taken me quite some time to figure out there are subject areas I would neither enjoy nor feel comfortable with. For example, I’d hate having to translate a novel. Some subject areas – such as electrical engineering or chemistry – I am even terrified of! So I give them a wide berth.

A minimalist wardrobe will help you to always look great and feel great

Minimalist wardrobe principle 2:
Know what flatters you.

Minimizing your wardrobe involves identifying what flatters you in terms of style, materials, colours, and patterns. Buying new clothes consequently becomes a piece of cake as you already know exactly what to look out for.

Similarly, identifying a translation specialism allows you to be highly selective when sifting through a pile of new job enquiries; you can decide quickly which translations are and which aren’t for you. A specialism will not just make your website look attractive, but also make you look good.


Minimalist wardrobe principle 3:
Create a capsule wardrobe.
 
The only thing Matilda Kahl had to do to create her iconic work uniform was to buy 15 identical silk white shirts and a few black trousers. A capsule wardrobe includes timeless, versatile pieces that you love to wear. It is the definition of your personal style.

Similarly, just as a capsule wardrobe can greatly boost your public image, the specialisms that translators acquire and become known for often turn into their brand. And not only are these translators conversant with their subject areas, they also usually love their specialisms!


Just as there is a good reason why successful people wear the same thing every day, it makes sense to pick a translation specialism: you never stress about what types of texts to accept, you are more efficient at work, and you feel great about having that specialism! 


Links to articles on the minimalist wardrobe:
- Why I Wear the Exact Same Thing to Work Every Day (by Matilda Kahl)
- 8 Reasons Successful People Are Choosing to Wear the Same Thing Every Day  (by Joshua Becker)
- Minimalist Wardrobe (on Simple not Plain, a how-to blog on minimalist living)

New blog theme: Minimalism in the freelance translator’s workplace

I was pleasantly surprised to see a reference to one of my German blog articles about minimalism in the freelance workplace in the January 2016 issue of the ITI Bulletin. This has encouraged me even more in my decision to focus on combining translation with minimalism in future blog posts.

ITI BULLETIN January-February 2016, page 4

I am already brimming with ideas, so watch this space!